Flexible unit assembly for processing textile fibres

ABSTRACT

THE FLEXIBLE UNIT IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE INVENTION IS CONSTITUTED BY A STRIP OF FLEXIBLE SHEET FORMED OF NATURAL OR SYNTHETIC RUBBER OR ANY SUITABLE ELASTOMER SHAPED SO AS TO FORM WAVES WITH CRESTS WHICH HAVE A TRANSVERSE DIRECTION WITH RESPECT TO THE LENGTH OF THE SHEET AND TO THE DIRECTION OF THE RELATIVE DISPLACEMENT OF SAID STRIP WITH RESPECT TO THE TEXTILE FIBRES TO BE PROCESSED, THE CRESTS OF THE WAVES WHICH ARE LOCATED ON ONE OF THE FACES OF SAID WAVED SHEET BEING SECURED TO SUITABLE SUPPORTING MEANS WHILST THE CRESTS OF THE WAVES WHICH ARE LOCATED ON THE OTHER FACE CONSTITUTE THE FLEXIBLE ELEMENTS FOR PROCESSING FIBRES.   D R A W I N G

' March 13, 1973 J. F. HERUBEL.

FLEXIBLE UNIT ASSEMBLY FOR PROCESSING TEXTILE FIBRES 7 Filed July 2. 1970 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 25 I NVENT Jean Fneomm. JERuQEL Am nlsvs I March 13, 1973 J. F. HERUBEL 3,719,968

FLEXIBLE UNIT ASSEMBLY FOR PROCESSING TEXTILE FIBRES Filed July 2. 1970 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 \NVENTORZ Jen: Fneom m HERuBEl 3 v 'mMwm-w Arron All V.

United States Patent us. (:1. 19-236 7 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The flexible unit in accordance with the invention is constituted by a strip of flexible sheet formed of natural or synthetic rubber or any suitable elastomer shaped so as to form waves with crests which have a transverse direction with respect to the length of the sheet and to the direction of the relative displacement of said strip with respect to the textile fibres to be processed, the crests of the waves which are located on one of the faces of said waved sheet being secured to suitable supporting means, whilst the crests of the waves which are located on the other face constitute the flexible elements for processing fibres.

The invention relates to devices for processing textile fibres in the form of laps, rovings, slivers or yarn which are intended for use in operations preparatory to spinning and in spinning, for example in drawing operations by means of rollers, aprons or pins, rubbers, finishers, drafting for preparation and spinning.

By processing is meant any operation which is intended to modify the configuration of fibers such as straightening as well as a simple cleaning operation such as scraping, for example.

The invention is directed solely to devices comprising a flexible element for processing fibres which are similar to those described, for example, in the French patent application filed by the present applicant on Nov. 28, 1968, under No. 175,735 and entitled High Draft Drafting Device for Textile Machines and co-pending US. patent application No. 874,136, filed on Nov. 5, 1969, now US. Pat. No. 3,636,591, in respect of Drafting Device for Textile Machines.

The flexible elements for processing fibres as described in this patent application are each constituted by a flexible strip place transversely with respect to the direction of displacement of the fibres, said strip being folded back on itself to form a loop, the back portion of which is intended to exert pressure on the fibres whilst the two side portions are secured flatwise' against a rigid bar or batten by means of screws, for example.

In point of fact, this form of structure is subject to a certain number of criticisms, viz:

(a) In order to attach the flexible element along the bar at a number of points, it is necessary to make use of a number of screws which call for a drilling and tapping operation at each fixing point; furthermore, a strip of sheet metal has to be added to the bar in order that the clamping pressure of the screws should be distributed over the flexible element as uniformly as possible;

(b) The presence of a large number of fixing screws along the bar increases the external dimensions of this latter, with the result that the bars cannot be brought together as may be desirable;

(0) Mounting of each flexible element by means of a large number of screws is obviously a time-consuming and costly operation;

(d) Despite the presence of a sheet metal member for distributing the pressure of the screws over the flexible element, there remain pressure differences which are liable to cause distortion or buckling of the flexible element to a greater or lesser extent, with the result that said element works under unfavourable conditions;

(e) The flexible element must also be pierced at a number of points which takes a long time and permits the use of said element only in one position, thereby entailing the need for replacement of said element when its working points are Worn.

The preparation, that is to say the cutting-out of the flexible element, is a long and laborious operation requiring high precision which further increases the cost price of the device.

The object of the invention is to provide a flexible device for processing textile fibres which is not subject to the above-mentioned disadvantages of known devices.

To this end, the flexible unit in accordance with themvention is constituted by a strip of flexible sheet formed of natural or synthetic rubber or any suitable elastomer shaped so as to form waves with crests which have a transverse direction with respect to the length of the sheet and to the direction of the relative displacement of said strip with respect to the textile fibres to be processed, the crests of the waves which are located on one of the faces of said waved sheet being secured to suitable supporting means, whilst the crests of the waves which are located on the other face constitute the flexible elements for processing fibres.

In some forms of construction, the means for supporting the waves consist of a plain flexible strip which is attached at the crests of one of the faces of the waved strip whereas in other forms of construction, said means consist of bars which are placed within and/or between the waves and the ends of which are joined together.

The disadvantages of known systems are accordingly removed and the advantages of the assemblies in accordance with the invention can be summarized as follows:

Fastening of the flexible element to its support does not entail the need for any screw and consequently for any drilling or tapping operation. This results in considerable economy of labour by reason of the high number of flexible elements which can be incorporated in a complete apparatus for subjecting fibres to a processiing operation such as drafting, for example. A further economy is achieved in the sheet metal dispensed with for distributing the screw-clamping pressure on the flexible element and this latter is maintained perfectly straight;

Since provision is no longer made for projecting sheet metal or screws, the overall size of the device is reduced,

accordingly, thereby making it possible to bring the working elements much closer together and to obtain better retention as well as better control of the textile fibres which are being processed;

The preparation of the flexible element becomes very simple since there is no longer any need for cutting-out or drilling.

A better understanding of the invention will be gained by perusal of the following description and by consideration of the accompanying drawings which show by way of non-limitative example a few forms of construction of flexible unit assemblies in accordance with the invention for processing moving textile fibres.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a partial profile view of a first form of construction of a flexible unit assembly in accordance with the invention;

FIG. 2 is a corresponding partial plan view;

FIG. 3 is a partial profile view of a second form of construction;

FIG. 4 is a corresponding plan view;

FIG. 5 is a partial profile view of a third form of construction comprising a flexible supporting strip;

FIG. 6 is a corresponding plan view;

FIG. 7 is a partial profile view of a fourth form of construction which also comprises a flexible supporting strip;

FIG. 8 is a corresponding partial plan view;

FIG. 9 is a partial profile view ,of one form of construction which is obtained by moulding; and

FIG. is a corresponding partial plan view.

The fragment of a flexible unit assembly which is shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 and comprises three flexible elements each designated by the reference 1 is intended for processing moving textile fibres in the form of laps, rovings, slivers or yarns and is intended for use in operations preparatory to spinning and in spinning.

The assembly is constituted by a band or strip of flexible sheet 2 formed of natural or synthetic rubber or of any suitable elastomer to which a waved configuration has been given as illustrated; the wave crests have a transverse direction with respect to the length of the sheet and with respect to the direction of displacement of said strip relatively to the textile fibres to be processed.

The wave crests which are shown at the top of FIG. 1 are intended to constitute the elements for processing the fibres which are in relative translational motion with respect to said elements as generally indicated at 4 in FIG. 2.

Said flexible units will be supported by the summits of the loops which are shown in the lower portion of FIG. 1 and in each of which is inserted a rod 5 of a first set of rods.

Rods such as 6 forming part of a second set of rods having a diameter of greater value than the space formed between two successive rods 5 of the first set are placed opposite to the spaces between rods of the first set and maintain applied against these latter the walls of two corresponding adjacent loops of the sheet 2 under the action of connecting means between the extremities of the rods of the first set and the extremities of the rods of the second set, all the rods being of slightly greater length than the width of the sheet of waved flexible material.

In this example, the connecting means between the rods are constituted by resilient clips 7 each forming a dihedral angle in the bottom of which is placed one extremity of a rod of the second set and the two arms of which are curved inwards and partially grip the extremities of the two adjacent rods of the first set. The clips 7 are evidently displaced in the axial direction alternately towards the right and towards the left as can be seen especially in FIG. 2.

It is recommended practice to make use of the projecting extremities of one of the sets of rods, for example the first set of rods 5, as means for attaching the flexible units to a support. To this end, the solid or tubular extremities of said rods can be split as shown at 8 and can be inserted over supporting and driving tongues which form part of an endless chain, for example, especially in accordance with an arrangement described and illustrated in detail in the co-pending French patent application filed by the present applicant and entitled: Device Comprising Flexible Elements for Processing Textile Fibres.

In FIGS. 3 and 4, there is shown an alternative form in which the means for supporting the summits for fastening the loops of flexible units 1 are constituted by tubes 11 having a longitudinal mounting slot 12 and each engaged over the crest of one of said waves, each wave being maintained applied against the internal wall of said tube by a locking rod 14 which is placed within the trough of said loop. The width of the slot 12 of the tube is smaller than the diameter of the locking rod 14 which is surrounded by the loop of flexible material so that said loop cannot pass out of the tube after assembly.

In order to assemble the fastening loops within the supporting tubes 11, said loops can first be inserted in the tubes in the axial direction, the two juxtaposed sides 4 of the loop being placed within the longitudinal slot 12 of the tube, whereupon the locking rod 14 is inserted in each loop. The operation may also be started by placing the locking rod inside each loop and inserting the packed loop in the tube.

In this example, the tubes 11 are also of greater length than the width of the flexible strip 2 so that the extremities of said tubes which are suitably split as mentioned above can take part in the assembly of said supporting tubes on members for controlling and displacing the flexible elements for processing textile fibres.

The alternative form which is illustrated in FIGS. 5 and 6 differs essentially from the two forms of construction hereinabove described in that the summits of the loops of one of the faces of the waved strip 2 are attached to another flexible strip 21 having the same width as the waved strip 2 and formed, for example, of the same material. In this example, the two strips are attached to each other by means of a first set of rods 24 which are placed in the troughs of said loops and a second set of rods 25 in which each rod is applied against the outer face of the plain flexible strip 21 opposite to a rod 24 of the first set. Substantially C-shaped resilient fasteners 27 couple the extremities of each rod of the first set to the corresponding extremity of the rod of the second set which is located in oppositely-facing relation thereto in such a manner that the summits of the loops of the waved strip 2 and the plain strip 21 are clamped between said rods.

The rods 24, 25 are preferably of greater length than the common width of the two flexible strips in order that they may also serve as means for supporting the flexible units for processing textile fibres. S'aid rods can also be either solid or tubular. If necessary, their extremities may be adapted to carry sleeves or have strengthening bosses.

The embodiment shown in FIGS. 7 and 8 is an alternative form of the embodiment shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 and differs from this latter in the manner in which the waved strip is attached to the plain strip 21. To this end, the corresponding summits of the waved strip 2 are fixed directly against the plain strip 21 by glueing or bonding, for example, and the portions of two adjacent loops which are contiguous with the flexible strip are bonded to each other at a certain distance from the summits of said loops as shown at 28. There is therefore formed a triangular space having two curved faces and one flat face between the waved strip and the plain strip 21. There is inserted in said space a rod 31 which serves both as a stiffener and as means for supporting and displacing the flexible units.

It would also be possible to support and drive the assembly by passing the plain endless strip 21 over two rotary end cylinders. By way of alternative, the rods 31 could be dispensed with.

Finally, in FIGS. 9 and 10, there is shown another form of construction which is derived from that of FIGS. 7 and 8 by reason of the fact that the waved strip and the plain strip form together only a single component which is molded in one piece and in which the rods 31 have been embedded at the time of manufacture.

As is readily understood, the invention is not limited to the forms of construction which have been described and illustrated and have been given solely by way of examples; depending on the applications which are contemplated, any number of modifications could be made without thereby departing from the scope of the invention:

I claim:

1. An assembly of flexible elements for processing textile fibres in the form of laps, rovings, slivers or yarns, as employed in processes preparatory to spinning and in spinning, wherein said assembly comprises an elongated flexible strip formed of an elastomeric material and having a first surface and an oppositely facing second surface, said strip formed in a wave-like configuration of loops for forming alternating crests and troughs, said crests and troughs extending transversely of the elongated direction of said strip, at the crest portions of said strip said first surface of said strip forms the surfaces of the flexible elements for processing the textile fibres, supporting means for said strip disposed in contact with said strip and located in spaced relationship from the crests and adjacent the troughs, and securing means located adjacent the troughs in said strip and cooperating with said supporting means for maintaining the wave-like configuration of said strip.

2. An assembly, as set forth in claim 1, wherein said supporting means comprise two sets of rods which have a greater length than the width of said strip and consist of a first set of rods each disposed in the troughs of said strip in contact with the first surface thereof and a second set of rods in contact with said second surface of said strip, the rods of said second set have a diameter of a greater dimension than that of the space between two successive loops and are disposed closely juxtaposed to the spaces between the rods of said first set, said securing means comprises means for connecting the extremities of said rods of said first set and said second set and for maintaining the walls of two adjacent loops applied by said rods of said second set against said rods of said first set.

3. An assembly, as set forth in claim 2, wherein said connecting means between the rod extremities comprise resilient clips each comprising a pair of arms disposed in diverging relationship from a common juncture with the ends of said arms spaced from said juncture curved inwardly and, the juncture between said arms having a rounded configuration and fitted over one of said rods of said second set and with the inwardly curved ends of said arms partially gripping the extremities of two adjacent rods of said first set.

4. An assembly, as set forth in claim 1, wherein said supporting means for said strip comprises locking rods each placed within one of the troughs of said strip in contact with said first surface thereof, said securing means comprises tubes each provided with a longitudinal assembly slot and engaged over said second surface at the troughs of said strip with each said tube laterally enclosing one of said locking rods and the portion of said strip contacting said locking rod, the width of each tube slot being smaller than the diameter of the cooperating said locking rod surrounded by said strip, and said locking rods maintaining said second surface of said strip in contact with the internal walls of said tubes.

5. An assembly, as set forth in claim 1, wherein said means for supporting said strip in the wave-like configuration comprises a planar flexible strip which has the same width as said wave-shaped strip and which is in contact with and attached to said second surface of said strip at the troughs thereof.

6. An assembly, as set forth in claim 5, wherein said securing means for securing said planar flexibile strip to said wave-like strip comprises two sets of rods which have a greater length than the width of said flexible strips and consist of a first set of rods each disposed in one of the troughs of said strip in contact with said first surface of said wave-like strip and a second set of rods each placed against the face of said planar flexible strip facing outwardly away from said second surface and opposite one of the rods of said first set, said assembly further comprises clamping means coupling the extremities of each rod of said first set to the corresponding extremities of an oppositely disposed rod of said second set so that said second surfaces at the troughs of said strip and said planar flexible strip are clamped together between said rods and the clamping action maintains the wave-like shape of said strip.

7. An assembly, as set forth in claim 5, wherein two oppositely disposed portions of said second surface of said flexible wave-like strip located on the opposite sides of a crest and between the crest and the adjacent troughs thereof are bonded to each other at a point located at a predetermined distance from said adjacent troughs, and said supporting means comprises a rod of slightly greater length than the common width of the two cooperating said strips and which is inserted in each space defined by said second surfaces of said flexible wavelike strip between the point at which the two oppositely disposed portions of said second surface are bonded together and the surface of said flexible planar strip in contact with the second surfaces at the troughs in said wave-like strip.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 376,975 1/1888 Adie 74--23l C X DORSEY NEWTON, Primary Examiner 

